New Delhi, July 18: The government today said in the Rajya Sabha that it will come out with unemployment data from 2016 in the next two months and asserted that various schemes are being implemented with an aim to create more jobs. Job opportunities have not come down in the country and even global data shows that unemployment rate in India is lower, Minister of Labour and Employment Santosh Kumar Gangwar said during the Question Hour.

"The data is not available for unemployed persons since November 2016. We are conducting a survey. We will come out with a report in the next two months," the minister said.

The Labour Bureau has been conducting quarterly employment surveys in selected labour-intensive and export oriented sectors, he said. The coverage of the quarterly employment survey has since been enhanced during 2016 with more industries/sectors, he added.

Maintaining that employment generation and improving employability is the priority concern of the government, the minister said various steps have been taken to generate jobs.

The government is encouraging private sector to generate jobs, fast-tracking various projects involving substantial investment and increasing public expenditure on schemes like Pradhan Mantri Emloyment Generation Programme (PMEG) and MGREGS among others, he said.

Also, the skill certification scheme is being launched to enable a large number of Indian youth to take up industry- relevant skill training that will help them in securing a better livelihood, he added.